This is one of the best all you can eats in Jacksonville. My gf and I have been here a couple of times and the food is always delicious. Love the food, and the environment is always welcoming and makes you want to come back. This is someplace to put on your radar! I would definitely recommend to everyone! read more

Southern Charm - Cute sign on the table! - Soul Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Chef Art is such a good man and his cooking is the best I've had in country cooking!!! He is a Jacksonville staple and he loves everyone!!

Amazing! Everything was fresh, and yummy!! Chef Art himself cooked the food!! Most try!!! read more

Southern Charm - Fried Shrimp - Soul Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Chef Art is amazing! Do not dismiss this place for its foam plates and industrial environment. We came here at 11:30am on a Sunday, right before the Jaguars vs. Falcon game. The doors were locked but we peered in anyways to try our luck...and without hesitation, Chef Art unlocked his doors and invited us into his master kitchen! The smell of pork ribs roasting in a stone oven, Mac and cheese simmering on the stove top, and fresh seafood waiting to be dipped into a luscious batter was enough for my appetite to expand into massive hunger. Within minutes, Chef Art told us that even though his buffet line was not ready yet, he would put together a plate of everything he could for us - and we sat down at a table without a second to waste. Leonard, our waiter was sweet as ever...constantly offering us sweet tea and checking in on us. When the food platter came out - fried shrimp, pork ribs, homemade cut fries, Mac and cheese, coleslaw, rice with squash risotto, fried green tomatoes...our eyes just bulged. So much food to consume in the little time we had. But believe it or not, within minutes later our plates were wiped clean. Stuffed, we were ready to move on towards Jacksonville when Chef Art surprised us with Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls. So ever slightly sweet with the bold, deep flavor of dark cocoa..how could we resist. We had one each first...then another...and I would have another right now if I could. Long review but I believe that Chef Art and his team deserved every word of this review. Their mastery with Cracker food, soul-filled stories about how their food came to be, treating their customers with immense love and respect, and their fun-loving attitudes must not be missed when in the Jacksonville area. Oh and he was starred in top notch magazines too...nbd :) read more

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Warning with a drink it's 25 dollars a person. That being said this might be the best ribs and fried shrimp I've ever had. He serves unlimited buffet style three types of shrimp, peel and eat garlic shrimp, fried shrimp, and blackened shrimp! Plus ribs, cheese grits, collards and cole slaw! Phenomenal. read more

Absolutely horrified at the experience we encounter. My wife and in-laws were recommended to come here for the dinner buffet on the weekends. We show up, inside is absolutely disgusting, dirty, flies, mold, who knows what else. I have no idea how this got the reviews and stars it currently shows, but I assure you it is not worth the risk! Not to mention $25 a person for the buffet..... read the city inspection reports, violations monthly.... read more

This is what good old southern cooking is about. Had the Wednesday Lunch buffet which consisted of fried chicken, bbq chicken, chicken and dumplings, green beans not out of the can, Cole slaw, collard greens, fried green tomatoes, fried shrimp, brownies for dessert. The service is great Chef Art entertains as he cooks. He cooks from the heart and love as it shows in his food as he prepares it right in front of your eyes. This man is a one of a kind and show his appreciation for his customers. If you have never been there go out of your way to try there aren't to many places with this around anywhere. read more

This is a great place to dine. It has the Southern Charm like it's name, I would highly recommend trying this place. Nice and cozy.

Love this place! My husband took me here on a quick Friday lunch date. It definitely has southern country charm. You must come with cash, no cards are accepted. The menu changes based on the day. Friday is Fish & Shrimp. You enter a small buffet type line where you pick a variety of side items, fruits, desserts & homemade sauces. You then get seated where they bring fresh local caught fish, shrimp & other items. It was definitely different in a very great way. If you are on the bougey side then don't enter this place & ruin their star ratings based on appearance alone but if you are country born. used to a good ole southern style kitchen setting with dusty base boards then this place is definitely a charm! All the dishes were freshly made and very delicious read more

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This place is a sign of contradiction. I don't think I have ever had better fried shrimp in my life. Hot, fresh, tasty and fried just right. The chef takes great care to make everything good. I liked the collards, not so much the slaw. Fried green tomatoes, when just fried, are great. Cookies --great. Very friendly, literally like you were invited to a very good friend's home for dinner. The sad part is the home is a place that could send you to the hospital--and bring your own chair because the one they give you might collapse. If you don't mind eating some killer fried food in a garage with an old southern flair, check it out for yourself. The food won't disappoint. read more

We have been going to this hidden gem for a long time even before it was Southern Charm. Art had a restaurant over by the Mayport Ferry & moved over to the now St Augustine Rd location. His "Southern Cracker" cooking never fails as the food is always delicious. The shrimp & fish have the lightest fresh batter on them & are amazing! The sides are always delicious also. No, it's not a fancy looking interior but is definitely very clean! read more

Like having a meal at your favorite eccentric uncle's home. True Southern home cooking. We went on Friday when seafood is the focus. Perfectly fried delicate whiting fish, shrimp and the best fried green tomatoes I've ever had! That's a big compliment coming from a Southern girl! Cheese grits, collards, coleslaw, corn cakes and brownies round out the menu. Served buffet-style and constantly replenished. Definitely worth another visit. TIPS: Call to reserve. Art cooks according to how many reservations. Cash or check only. Lunch was $13, $15 including tea. Door says 11, but they open at 11:30. Don't let the area scare you. Parking is a challenge, but worth it. read more

I really like the food here. One of the best southern foods I have ever had and I can't believe how much food you get for the price. I'm definitely coming back when I am back in town. read more

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This is what real Southern comfort food is about. Quality cooking, larger than life personalities, and gallons of sweet tea. It may not look like much inside or out, but it's the best damn food you'll have all week. Art is a gift to this world. read more

Living in jacksonville for over 40 years, drove pass this place for years. We went for lunch and what a treat and surprise all in one. Real southern food and charm. Art/ earl gave us more then we paid for. We will be back, thanks for the great food and conversation. read more

This some of the bear Southern cooking you can find in Jacksonville. The fried chicken is absolutely spectacular.... wonderful collard greens and macaroni & cheese. They also offer some of the beat fried whiting & shrimp around. It well worth the trip to South Jax for this hidden gem. read more

if you want the Southern Experience trying Fried Chicken, ribs, pork Loin, Black Eye Beans, Collared Greens, Fried Shrimp, Sundays at Southern Charm is the Ticket. Art is the Champ! Southern Charm, reminds you of Mom's cooking, where everything is good and delicious. The only other experience I can relate to is a small Kitchen/Home in Puerto Nuevo, Baja Mexico. Two tables, two ladies, serving Lobster, tortillas, rice and Beans, and Cold Cerveza with Good Friends and Family. Very memorable to say the least. When you see Seniors, next to you telling their guests they've been coming for 10 years, you know this is the place. Art will come around and check on you, or he'll have his attendants give you more sweet tea, or bring you as a first timer a Plate of Fried Shrimp. The day I was there he had this cake with Cherry's, Blue Berries and Peaches(hopefully that's correct) soo good. The location is kind of in a Neighborhood/business area, more neighborhood. The charm in this place is Art, doing his thing, cooking up some good food, sharing his passion for cooking. Nothing else needs to be said, there's a reason why you're eating off of Paper Plates and drinking from Styrofoam cups. It's that good and you feel the Love. From California with Love. read more

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Agree, doesnt look much from outside but the shrimp and fish was great. Even the fried green tomatoes, grits, and redneck potatoe salad was all wonderful. Alot of food for the money. And the Chef had best personality and knows home cooking. Very recommended. read more

Amazing! It has been cleaned significantly since the last visit. It isn't pristine but the incredible food, chef and prices make up for it.! The best seafood and fried chicken in the country...we never miss a trip to Southern Charm when we are in JAX! read more

Food was delicious! Reminds me of a family style environment. All the fried items were juicy, and the batter was light and flaky. read more

Southern Charm - Soul Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

This is truly a hidden gem of Jacksonville. Art is very passionate about cooking and pleasing his guests. Truly homemade soul food made right in front of you. Swing by on Wednesday for the lunch buffet but be warned... The food is so rich and delicious you won't want to go back to work afterwards. Art's fried chicken and shrimp are incredible. The restaurant is in an old building with an old kitchen, but that's what gives Southern Charm it's character. Be prepared to leave full and ready to come back for your next meal but remember, bring your cash to pay. read more

Highly Recommended ! This place is one of a kind ! We got tons of amazing shrimp and the buffet is awesome . The owner makes everything from scratch and constantly brings out fresh homemade food . They are super friendly and have some of the best food In Jacksonville! read more

Southern Charm - Soul Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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We came I. With caution. It was a dive and Buffet. I don't do buffet. But once inside the chef charmed us and explained his history and how he did the magic. True southern cooking! He even gave us a plate of fried green tomatoes and shrimp just because it was our first time there. Wonderful lunch, diner or anything you want to call it. read more

Southern Charm - Soul Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Words can't describe how delicious his food is. You will be amazed and he feeds you just like grandma would. You will leave there with your belly full and your heart warmed. EVERYTHING IS DELICIOUS AND DELIVERED STRAIGHT FROM THE STOVE TO YOUR PLATE! read more

Words cannot describe an amazing Southern menu that you get. Stuff yourself to the point you need a long nap afterwards. The best damn Shrimp in town and Quince your thirst with perfect (PERFECT) sweet tea. read more

Southern Charm - Soul Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Best southern food all the way in Jacksonville Florida The buffet price at lunch it's unbeatable plus you get a plate of shrimp free your first visit Your taste buds will remember this first visit for a long time ! Chef ART the friendliest guy in the San Marco neighborhood... read more

Before my experience at Southern Charm, I thought southern hospitality was a thing only found in Georgia or Alabama but never would i have thunk Jacksonville, Florida! So when I searched for fried chicken in "current location" I was blown away when I walked into Southern Charm and it was packed to the brim with the post Sunday service crowd and I was the only brown person there. I didn't know what to do because it looked like a buffet and for a quick second thought I'd leave because I didn't see any chicken, but that's when Susan, the waitress, asked if I was dining in, what I wanted to drink and gave me the lo down of what to do. Then she asked if I had ever been there and when I said no, she said oh good, we'll give you plate of 15 fried shrimp on the house! DAFUQ!!! HAIL YAH!!! So as I waited for the shrimp I walked up to the buffet and it was kinda lacking. But it was because the huge party took all of it home! And the folks near my table did so as well but I did get two decent ribs and a piece of bbq chicken. Then that's when my shrimp came! Holy cow it was perfectly cooked! The breading was so light and had just enough spice and salt to not overpower the shrimp. I guess some of the folk were waiting for the fried chicken cuz when Art announced that they were ready they booked for their to go boxes and grabbed a bunch! But when I got up, Art was still putting more on the line! And then he asked if I had gotten some ribs and offered me a plate. Since everyone left I grabbed a chair by the kitchen and just chopped it up with Earl, Susan and Art. We talked about everything and they even gave me two boxes to get ribs and chicken for my shipmates on the ship. All this cost me $13.75 but it was priceless to talk with the locals. I can get used to this southern hospitality. read more

Thought it was expensive for the area. Waiter...busboy..not sure which..service was very slow. Just was not impressed.

Amazing fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and yummy sides. Highly recommend if you are not dieting

I loved that this restaurant is so "charming", for lack of a better word. I also loved that the man who does the cooking is so friendly. You feel like you're a guest in someone's home. While the food was pretty good, it wasn't great. Some things were undercooked, some were over cooked and some lacked seasoning. The reason I'm giving 1 is because there were roaches walking all over the buffet. Also, the kitchen area was really dirty. There was layers of grease and flour everywhere. I'm hoping that the owner will see this review, do a big clean up and bring in a pest control company and restore the restaurant back to its former glory. read more

OMG! What a find. I'm so glad we decided to go in. It is not impressive. From outside it looks like the typical "hole in the wall". As soon as you walk in the Art, and Harold, make you feel at home. Art is the cook. You couldn't get a better welcome at grandma's. Art kids around a lot and Harold helps him. The food is some of the best. This was Friday so it was fish and shrimp buffet. Art was fixing some freshly fried fish and shrimp and Harold brought it to the table when it was ready. The collard greens were some of the best I've had. Fried green tomatoes were excellent. I liked the cheese & grits, but the wife wasn't crazy about them. The cole slaw was quite good also. The fish and shrimp were some of the best we've had and we've tried fish and shrimp just about everywhere in the southeast. Oh! They let you take your leftovers home also. They have different buffets on different days. Friday is fish and Wednesday is fried chicken. Wed-Fri they have a dinner menu. Call for more information. If you are looking for a fancy place, the turn tails and head back the way you came. If you are looking for good food, walk right in and be welcomed by all. read more

We have been coming here to Art Jeannettes for years. We first met him when he had his place on Heckscher Drive called The Palms. We had driven by there several times and we're curious and we called and made reservations. When we arrived our names were on the table and we found out that no one ate till he rang the dinner bell. How unique is that. We were surprised at the variety of food and the number of people that came from all over town. The place was packed nd the food was delicious. When he moved over to St Augustine Road and had Checker BBQ we followed him over there and have him continue to eat there now and his place is called Southern Charm. The food has not altered neither has the service it is always as great as usual. You feel like you've gone home to Mom's house to eat. If you leave there hungry it's your own fault. The shrimp is made perfectly just crisp not overcooked. On Wednesday Art has fried and BBQ chicken his fried chicken is the best in town better than any place that sells fried chicken. It is crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. His collard greens of the best I've ever eaten I could make a meal of them. Everything that Art cooks from fish to BBQ, his cheese grits, Fried Green Tomatoes to his Sweet Georgia Brown cookies are the best. If you're looking for a dining experience for the best southern cooking in Jacksonville I highly recommend Southern Charm Restaurant. read more

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The fried shrimp was delicious! Light & not greasy. Served hot straight to your table. Art and Earl are the perfect team. The cheese grits were the best I've ever had. Art's secret family recipe. Best food we have had in a while. read more

All i can say is go Hungry.... Chef Art cooks everything fresh & it's the Best buffet I've been to in years.. Do you like hot fried shrimp? This is the place to go.... Don't expect much when you drive up... Go here for the food... Chef Art's personality & cooking is what i go for.... read more

The chef/owner is very very nice. The staff were wonderful too. The food is excellent! They feed you until you can't eat anymore. Then they feed you again! We'll be back! read more

Although the wait was a bit, need not worry, they do cook up quite a bit of food. The staff seemed to really enjoy cooking the food for their guest. We can tell since the kitchen was open to the first dining room. The service is actually better than expected. At first the waiting staff appeared to look like they would give you an attitude, instead they were attentive and hard working. The Chef likes to come around and talk to each table and he genuinely cares about his customers. As for food, most things were good. I think everything was flavored the way they should. I thought the fry shrimp was battered and fried well. The collard greens were done very well. Although the ribs tasted good with the barbecue sauce, I wished it was more tender to where it would fall off the bone. This is a real deal "Hole in the wall" experience from the restaurant itself, waiting staff, dinnerware, to even the location of the place. Art the Chef sheds light on what "Cracker" cooking is really all about. The restaurant is kind of what it's all about. It's a mesh of different people coming together to enjoy good food and a good time with one another. Sometimes it's not about how fancy a place can be, but it's about the food and people you share it with. read more

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Excellent southern food. The owner is the epitome of southern hospitality. I definitely did not leave hungry! I had the fried fish and shrimp and it was so delicious. Can't wait to go back! read more

True southern food better than momma used to cook and momma could cook !!

Just the home style southern cooking you want to enjoy. Art prepare the food fresh and you can taste the freshness. I had the Wednesday buffet and was a HAPPY camper. You fell right at home in this small family setting. Just be prepared to eat and enjoy :-) read more

Southern Charm - Soul Food Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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The following review was published under my byline in the Florida Times-Union on Saturday, April 9, 2016. This is an original, unabridged version of that review. "If you leave hungry, it's your fault." Such was the unvarnished advice offered to this hungry writer by the regulars at Southern Charm on St. Augustine Road. Much like its neighbor in this quadrant of the Southside, The French Pantry, Art Jennette's Southern soul food eatery is a proverbial fish out of water, in a sea of tired industrial warehouses and garages north of Emerson Street. And much like The French Pantry, it stands out from nearby competitors for good reason. Chef Art earns the credit for that. He's been plying what he calls his cracker-cooking craft in this space, formerly Checker BBQ, for nearly a decade, following a 37-year stint at Palms Fish Camp on Heckscher Drive. His flamboyant hat and gregarious nature, drowning out his frypan's sizzle with unabashed superlatives for his kitchen creations, earns him plenty of laughs and loyalists. Inside, the twin dining rooms and open-air kitchen are as kitschy as they come, with splintered menu signs touting the place's multitude of buffets, prints and murals from a local artist wrapped around mismatched tables and chairs. It's unapologetically unpolished and downhome, and the patrons seem just fine with that. Jennette's "cracker" cooking is what people come to see. He attributes the term, adapted from a Gaelic word for festivity, to Irish workers visiting Northeast Florida at the turn of the last century. It was their term of endearment to describe the joy of eating authentic Southern cooking as a social occasion. His translation of that vision: heaping plates of family recipe-inspired barbecue standards, fried seafood and old-world Southern sides served from a "side bar," much of it locally sourced and served piping hot on paper plates with plastic silverware. You know it's ready when he rings the bell, and patrons scramble to queue up for collard greens, cheesy cheese grits and coleslaw. Servers deliver your ordered proteins a short time later. First-timers would do well to show up on time--dinner is served in just a two-hour window during the week, shorter on weekends--and ask for menus. We had to seek them out to order on a recent Thursday night, or go with the flow on the all-you-can-eat feast of fried whiting for $8.99. The menu also offers helpful ordering etiquette. For instance, on weekend nights, a by-reservations-only country-style seafood and ribs buffet for $22 is your only dining option, as is Friday's $12 seafood lunch buffet. There are no appetizers per se; a trip to the side bar should be enough to whet any normal human's appetite. I chose whiting and bay scallops as the two meats on my Choose Your Own Combo ($14.99) entrée. This vertically stacked plate came packed with what seemed like dozens of perfectly golden bite-size scallops, delicious strips of whiting lightly dusted in cornmeal and flour, and "Ron's World-Famous Handcut Fries," a collection of slender, perfectly seasoned potato wedges. These made-to-order treats aren't on the side bar so you'll need to order them. As first-timers, Chef Art also sent us a mountainous plate of lightly fried tail-on white shrimp that needed no more than a squeeze from a lemon wedge to be rendered addictive. My dining partner's Pork Plate ($7.99) featured an excellent portion of shredded pork that didn't need any saucy embellishment to bring out its simple, smoky goodness. Buffet goers will find a lot to love with their side items, which were simply tasty across the board without being weighed down by salt or other flavor enhancers. The baked beans had a strong tomato base, while the potato salad was quintessentially Southern with a mustardy foundation and plenty of egg whites. The fried green tomatoes were razor-thin and lightly dusted with flour but very little else, leaving just a scant amount of oil in their wake. At the end of the buffet line, you'll find a pan of whatever Chef Art has whipped up that day for dessert, which can range from ginger cookies to cinnamon rolls. We enjoyed the latter, a dense cake bubbling with gooey cinnamon slabs and encased in an icing that would take out the most unrelenting sweet tooth with ease. If you want craft beer or cocktails at Southern Charm, you'll have to bring your own, but you won't pay a corkage fee. Coke, Diet Coke, sweet or unsweet tea and water are your only in-house beverage choices. Cash and check are your only payment options, too. It's safe to say we didn't leave Southern Charm hungry. Between Chef Art's kitchen theatrics and his old-school approach to Southern hospitality, we filled up on a dining experience that was incredibly rich but increasingly rare. read more